"We do not earn or merit anything by taking refuge in God. Hiding in something makes no contribution to the hiding place. All it does is show that we regard ourselves as helpless and the hiding place as a place of rescue." John Piper

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Salvation is the work of God. It is He alone who quickens the soul "dead in trespasses and sins," and it is He also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both "Alpha and Omega." "Salvation is of the Lord."

If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces, they are God's gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is because He upholds me with His hand. I do nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what God Himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely. If I have repulsed a spiritual enemy, the Lord's strength nerved my arm. Do I live before men a consecrated life? It is not I, but Christ who liveth in me. Am I sanctified? I did not cleanse myself: God's Holy Spirit sanctifies me. Am I weaned from the world? I am weaned by God's chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowledge? The great Instructor teaches me.

All my jewels were fashioned by heavenly art. I find in God all that I want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and misery. "He only is my rock and my salvation." Do I feed on the Word? That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made it food for my soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I live on the manna which comes down from heaven? What is that manna but Jesus Christ himself incarnate, whose body and whose blood I eat and drink? Am I continually receiving fresh increase of strength? Where do I gather my might? My help cometh from heaven's hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can I, except I abide in Him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let me learn this morning in my closet: "Salvation is of the Lord."

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

When it rains, our newspaper is delivered in a long plastic bag. Rather than throw these away, here are several uses. One is from my sister, Kathy (hers is the really clever idea) and one is from me:

Kathy suggested this:When it is raining, tie one of the plastic bags (that the newspaper comes in when it rains) onto your umbrella at the top. Here is a photo of what that looks like:

If the bag is wet, simply turn it inside-out so it will not drip on you. When you need to go out into the rain, open up your umbrella and use it as usual. After you get to your destination and are inside, take the bag off of the umbrella and put your drippy umbrella inside it. No more drips on the floor of the home or establishment you visit. Here is a photo of the bagged umbrella:

Though my umbrella is short, the bag is large enough to work for a longer umbrella as well. The really cool thing about this is that you'll have the bag exactly when you need it, early in the morning on a rainy day when the newspaper arrives. If you are planning to go out later, take the newspaper out of the bag, turn the bag inside out and tie it to your umbrella. Then sit down with a good breakfast and look at the newspaper!

My tip is not nearly as glorious as Kathy's, but perhaps it is worthy of a place on Tidy Tip Tuesday:

Use the same kind of bag to enclose disposable dirty diapers. I do this when Riley is here. Place the diaper (closed up with its own Velcro tabs) inside and on the bottom of the bag. Turn the bag as if you were going to close it with a twist-tie, but instead, draw the bag over itself - over the enclosed diaper so that it now has a double layer of bag over it. Repeat this once more and close with a twist tie or rubber band over the entire bag. I like this method because it is like putting the diaper in three separate bags. Therefore, it keeps the odor at bay. (Sorry, no photos for this tip.)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

My daughter Bethany reminded me about one Robert-ism that her dad actually put on paper:

Do you remember when Dad helped me make a list of items I needed for camping? On the list he had a number of things including a "Spachler". I didn't have a clue what he was talking about and asked, "What's a spachler?" He tried, without success, to describe to me what he meant, then gave up and drew a picture. I looked at the picture, and said "Oh, you mean a spatula, right?"

Robert pronounces this word spach-ler (rhymes with bachelor). He has revised spatula, a three consonant word into a two consonant word. Interesting. Why say more than you have to, right?

And having brought up the word bachelor, I am reminded of another one of Robert's alternate word uses:

On his 60th birthday we had some friends and family over to celebrate. After we ate, we all settled in the living room where Robert commenced some lively story telling. He told us all about a house he lived in during his bachelor days. He called it a "depression house" and described it as having no foundation. Rather, he said, "It was raised up off the ground and sitting on cylinder blocks". As soon as that was out of his mouth, the room exploded with laughter. My brother-in-law yelled hysterically, "Cylinder blocks?" Don't you mean cinder blocks?"

Now if you know Robert, he laughed harder than anyone. He thrives on this kind of communication and what it results in - lots of hilarity. We've all heard people say, "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you." But that's not true in Robert's case. Actually, when he blurts out one of his Robert-isms and everyone starts laughing, they are laughing at Robert, not with him, because he isn't laughing to begin with. He starts laughing when some very amused person asks the inevitable question, "Didn't you mean to say....?"

And I guess that's one of the reasons why I love this guy so much. This kind of fun is no threat to his ego. He laughs at himself so unreservedly, and to be able to do so is a very freeing thing. We would really be freed up from our pride if we didn't take ourselves so seriously. I don't know that I could do the same thing so effortlessly.

Monday, February 16, 2009

1. Use hydrogen peroxide to soak toothbrushes in between uses to eliminate germs.

2. Add hydrogen peroxide to the water you give your plants. It provides extra oxygen, something that is lacking in tap water. They'll love you for it.

3. To wash fruits and vegetables, use 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide with a little salt in a large bowl full of cool water. Killsbacteria and neutralizes chemical pesticides.
4. In the bathroom, spray sink with full-strength hydrogen peroxide to kill the cold virus and other germs and viruses.

5. Two ounces of hydrogen peroxide in the dishwasher will prevent the spread of colds, flu viruses and food-borne illness.

6. To get rid of canker sores and whiten your teeth, swish a cap full of hydrogen peroxide in your mouth daily for 10 minutes. Spit out when finished. Or if you'd rather rinse with a great tasting mouthwash made from hydrogen peroxide, find the recipe for making it here.

7. Use hydrogen peroxide for toilets to disinfect and whiten the bowl.

8. To lighten your hair with more natural looking highlights (looks like you've been in the sun), spray hair after shampooing with a solution of 50% water to 50% hydrogen peroxide. Comb it through your hair, but do not rinse.9. Keep a spray bottle of full-strength hydrogen peroxide in the shower to use as a disinfectant. Kills foot fungus, disease-causing bacteria, mold, mildew and more.

10. Follow this link for a very effective laundry stain remover that you can make quickly and easily with hydrogen peroxide.

11. Put a fast end to colds, flu, infections and even sinusitis by using hydrogen peroxide to gargle with, or drop into ears and/or nose with eye dropper.

12. Use a 50/50 solution of water and hydrogen peroxide to remove blood stains from clothing. Add one cup of full-strength hydrogen peroxide to the washing machine water (before adding clothing) to whiten and brighten your laundry.

13.To kill bacteria and viruses on raw meat, use salt and hydrogen peroxide in chilled water to soak fish, chicken or other meat.

Friday, February 13, 2009

As we celebrate Valentine's day for 2009, it is so important that we remember the Lover of our Souls. If I am loved by my Savior (I am), and am loving Him in return (I strive to, often failing but the longing is so much there), I can face any day without human love.

A week ago I was thumbing through one of my older Bibles and I found a note I'd written for Acts 1:14, which describes what the disciples were doing as they waited in the upper room for the Holy Spirit to come. It says, "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."

My note:

January 18th, 2001 - "...constantly in prayer...":

Jesus had been with these people for at least three years. They had seen Him - perhaps daily - spoken freely with Him, touched Him, been loved by Him and had loved Him in return. Now He was gone, but they knew where He was and how to continue to speak to Him. No wonder they were "constantly in prayer". They must have yearned for the Holy Spirit to come and comfort their hearts with the very words of Christ brought back to their remembrance.

May Christ be this real to those who truly follow Him today. O, Jesus, draw me to walk and talk with You, touch me, speak to me from Your word and may my love and adoration be poured forth on You above all created things.

On February 14th this year (and every other day as well), consider again God's great love for you and on your behalf. No one loves you like He does. Our Savior's heart was broken for you. His body was torn and offered up on the Cross for you. He bore your sins and was abandoned by His Father for you. He now lives to make intercession for you.

Love Him above anyone or anything else and speak to Him constantly. He is your sweetest, most precious, most faithful Valentine!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Here is my menu for the week. There were several meals that I did not get made up last week because we had the opportunity to fellowship and eat with another family in our church on one day. Another evening we had a sandwich out because of errands that kept us running longer that we had anticipated. So I carried over a few of last week's meals to this week.

You can find many more menu plans by clicking on the Menu Plan Monday graphic above. Also, you will need to go to my recipe blog, Franziska's Pantry, for recipes for this week's menu.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Well Tuesday has come and gone and you may have noticed that there was no Tidy Tip - no Tidy Tip, that is, until today.

I'd like to present the first homemade movie for T.T.T. Robert filmed me cutting a pineapple "the easy way" in this video. This is why I'm so late getting it posted (it's been way more of a process than I ever thought to get it onto YouTube).

When you watch the video, if it is really blurry, look just under the video frame on the right and it should say, "Watch in high quality". Click on that to view.

There are also two things to watch for in the video:

When Robert asks me about the bowl,"What is that blue thing," you will see to the left of the demo table something blue besides the bowl. It is actually quite noticeable - the vacuum cleaner. I have to confess, instead of putting it away, I moved it to the side, thinking it would be out of the field of vision. Well, it isn't, and now you know more about me: I never put away the vacuum cleaner. That's one thing (of far too many) concerning housekeeping that I seem to have a mental block about. Usually my poor husband, upon returning home from work, finds that it's still out and ends up putting it away himself. Anyone else have this problem?

The second thing is another "Robert-ism". Listen for it. If you do not catch it through the video, you will definitely hear it at the end.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Often I read cute kiddie-quotes on other blogs - funny things that blogger's children have said. I like to read these types of posts. Sometimes they are hilarious!

Well, in that same spirit, I would like to offer some funny quotes from my husband. He has given his permission - good sport that he is. He keeps the whole family laughing with his alternative word uses for the English language. We've all often joked that we need to keep a list and call it "Robert's Thesaurus".

Anyway, as often as Robert delivers these, I will post them. Here is the first offering:

Yesterday when I got out of bed, Robert looked at me, cracked up and said, "Hey Honey, look at your hair. You have colic in your hair."

I laughed and asked him, "Don't you mean a cowlick? Colic is when a baby has a tummy ache."

Monday, February 2, 2009

Here's my menu for the week. It's a day late, but, hopefully, will be a resource in the weeks to come also. You may have also noted that Tidy Tip Tuesday is absent. I will attempt that for tomorrow. Also, go to Franziska's Pantry for recipes for this week's menu.

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Who in the world is this "good woman"?

Lately, I've been tempted to change the name of this blog because most women relate better to a name like "My Chaotic Life" or "More Thorns Than Roses". You know something that sounds a little more human, unlike that "good woman", in Proverbs 31 who seems so perfect she's unapproachable.

However, I resisted. Here's why: The good woman isn't perfect, just forgiven. She knows "...that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" (Rom. 7:18-19). She confesses, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you" (Ps. 16:2).

So who is this good woman? She is any woman who has experienced the goodness and mercy of God through Christ's work on the cross. He lives in her and He is her good. She's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but looks to the day when, in Christ's presence, she is perfected.

Till then, life will go on with all its thorns and chaos. But by the grace and goodness of God, there will be many roses among the thorns.

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Welcome

Perhaps you're wondering what this blog is all about. First of all, "The Good Woman", whether she writes the posts here or visits to read them, is not perfect. She is simply a sinner redeemed and made good (righteous) by Christ's blood. She desires to serve and please Him for His glory. Regardless of her marital status or age, she needs encouragement along the way and also equipping to enable her to live out her divinely-designed occupation of helper (this includes single women). That is what this blog is all about. Please explore the articles offered on Biblical womanhood, written out of love for Christ in obedience to the charge inTitus 2:3-5."...older women...train the younger women...". And may God cause you to bring forth what is good out of the precious treasure of your heart (the God of all goodness).